


The Unhealthy Reliance of Luck

by samos7



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Gen, Kidnapping, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 11:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samos7/pseuds/samos7
Summary: Tony has a double take when Peter Parker enters the room, hands behind his back and secured through handcuffs he could effortlessly break out of in seconds.There was duct tape covering his mouth and his eyes were darting around the warehouse until they made contact with Tony. His eyes widened in surprise and he stares back at his own captor with a questioning and maybe desperate look. In return, the captor gives an awfully pleased smirk and continues to nudge him forward.“Told you this wasn’t about you, boy.”
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 21
Kudos: 249





	The Unhealthy Reliance of Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Quick warning that there is a mention of rape in this story. 
> 
> If you decide to read, please enjoy :)

Tony wakes up blindfolded and chained to a wooden chair.  
  
It really says something about his character that he wasn’t even surprised by the turn of events.  
  
Tony’s mind was foggy and he wasn’t certain how he had ended up in the situation he was in, but he paid no mind to it as he got to work on trying to escape. After a minute of tugging and shuffling around, he realized he was most likely wasting his energy.  
  
He just about knocked the chair over when he hears a deep and hostile voice speak from across the room.  
  
“I wouldn’t bother with that if I were you.”  
  
Despite the blindfold, Tony rolled his eyes at the empty threat. He forced himself to hold as still as possible as he leaned back into the uncomfortable chair, creating an aura of indifference.  
  
“Word of advice, chains from Walmart aren’t the best way to keep someone captive... especially when the someone is Iron Man- I mean, seriously, I’m trying to decide if I should be offended or not.”  
  
He heard footsteps approach him and he mentally prepares himself for action.   
  
“You talk highly about yourself, but if you were truly as powerful as you claim, maybe you wouldn’t have been taken in the first place.”  
  
Tony barks out a laugh. “Please, like you’re the first person to try and get something out of me. I know how this works, and I promise officials will be here in a half hour tops- I suggest running while you still can.”  
  
He was definitely over exaggerating with the time estimate, but the bluff has worked in the past. Tony was aware of the fear factor that was associated with his name, and he knew how to use it to his advantage.  
  
Instead of being intimidated, the man simply chuckled.  
  
“In that case, I guess we better get straight to the point.”  
  
Finally.  
  
Tony hears a pair a fingers snap impatiently and then hands were ripping the makeshift blindfold off of his face. The room was surprisingly lit, and he squinted his eyes to adjust to the bright lights. It did nothing to help his growing migraine however.   
  
He quickly examined his surroundings to see what he was up against. There were only six people, including himself, but all of the men were holding guns by their sides. Automatically, Tony knew that escaping on his own was unlikely. They seemed to be in a warehouse, which was pretty on brand for these types of crimes.  
  
Tony didn’t recognize any faces, but that didn’t really mean anything considering how poor his memory was when it came to that kind of thing (that was what he had Pepper for).  
  
The thought of Pepper made his throat tighten, and he felt the tiniest bit of fear for the first time that night. Pepper was going to kill him when she learned he was kidnapped again. There’s a good chance she already knew, and he wondered how long he had been stuck in the chair.  
  
Tony looked back forward to see a burly man with his arms crossed in front of him. He was looking at Tony expectantly with an eyebrow raised.  
  
Tony raised his own eyebrow, mimicking his action.  
  
“May I help you?”  
  
That only made the man more annoyed. “I asked you a question.”  
  
“I wasn’t listening.”  
  
The man growled in response. He grabbed the collar of Tony’s shirt and yanked him forward so their noses were almost touching. Tony was tempted to grimace in disgust, but he made sure to keep his face as stoic as possible as the man continued.  
  
“Do you know what it feels like to lose everything?”  
  
His breath smelled putrid, and Tony’s nose scrunched up as a response, bored expression falling for just a second.  
  
“I used to gamble back in the day. Does that count?”  
  
The man moved his fist and that was the only warning Tony received before he was punched in the gut. The blow was unexpected so he didn’t have much time to compose himself. He unwillingly bent forward and let out a pained huff.  
  
“You’ve ruined all of our lives, yet you sit here a mock us all. I can’t even act surprised though, Tony Stark has everything; fame, fortune, family- yet you’re arrogant and snarky about your success. We all knew from the beginning that you never deserved it.”  
  
Tony tilted his head back and groaned.   
  
“Look, as heartbreaking as that sounds, I’ve heard it all before. Can we get to the point?”  
  
The criminal seemed to take the challenge to heart, and his smirk makes him almost falter.  
  
“You’ll regret being difficult with us.”  
  
Tony momentarily debated head butting the man, but he continued on before Tony could make a decision.  
  
“I was Blipped you know- everyone in this room was except for you.”  
  
“You seek revenge with the man who’s brought you back to life, I can’t help but point out the irony.“  
  
“We were gone for _five years_ , I came back to my wife married to a different man and pregnant with twins.”  
  
Tony dropped his jaw in mock horror. “A woman willingly married you?”  
  
That earned another hit.  
  
“ _Shut up._ ”  
  
Tony was pretty certain there was going to be a bruise in the morning, but he didn’t fret about it. Instead, he bantered on.  
  
“What is it that you want from me anyway, money? I can assure you there are much easier and _legal_ ways to get it.”  
  
“You’re not understanding- We don’t want your money. We want you to feel the pain that we do each day we’re back on Earth.”

Tony has heard a lot of criminal backstories during his time as Iron Man, but this may be the lamest one yet.   
  
“Well you do have a hell of a right hook.”  
  
The criminals attention was no longer on Tony, he seemed to have reached his breaking point.  
  
“That’s it, I’m tired of this bullshit, Johnson- bring in the kid.”  
  
For the first time that night, Tony felt his veins grow cold with pure horror.  
  
Immediately, his thoughts went to Morgan. The last time he saw the girl had been when he had dropped her off for school this morning. Someone could have easily taken Morgan while she was in class. If they lay a finger on her-  
  
Tony has a double take when Peter Parker enters the room, hands behind his back and secured through handcuffs he could effortlessly break out of in seconds.

There was duct tape covering his mouth and his eyes were darting around the warehouse until they made contact with Tony. His eyes widened in surprise and he stares back at his own captor with a questioning and maybe desperate look. In return, the captor gives an awfully pleased smirk and continues to nudge him forward.  
  
“Told you this wasn’t about you, boy.”  
  
The man in front of Tony began to walk towards Peter, and Tony felt his heart rate speed up. “Why is there duct tape on his mouth?”  
  
“The kid wouldn’t shut up Boss.”  
  
The ‘Boss’ turned back to Tony with a huff, “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I suppose.”  
  
Despite the situation, pride blossomed out of Tony, and if Peter didn’t look so scared in the moment he probably would have grinned from ear to ear.  
  
Instead, he focused his attention back to Peter, his eyes scanning the other’s body while searching for any injuries. Surprisingly, Peter appeared unharmed, though the observation does nothing to ease Tony’s mind.  
  
“Tell me Stark, do you recognize this boy?”  
  
Tony forced himself to look away from Peter, barely addressing him despite the parental instincts that begged him to do otherwise.  
  
“I’ve never seen him in my life.”  
  
Tony immediately regrets his words.  
  
The man holding Peter throws him on the ground, and if it weren’t for his sixth sense Tony thinks Peter would have banged his head against the concrete from the force of it all.  
  
Peter barely has time to sit up before he’s roughly kicked in the face. The boot makes direct contact with Peter’s nose and there’s a sickly crack that echos in Tony’s ears. He kicks the same spot again and again until blood is staining the floor.  
  
Throughout it all, Tony reminds himself that Peter is Spiderman. He’s dealt with beatings, stab wounds, gunshots, and more; Tony knew deep down that Peter could handle the treatment being thrown upon him, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to throw up. Rage consumed Tony’s thoughts in seconds and he planned to make them all beg for their lives when this was over.   
  
“Care to change your answer?”  
  
“Fine, he’s an intern from Stark Industries- but I barely know the kid, I swear.”  
  
“We have evidence that suggests otherwise.”  
  
Tony wills his voice not to shake. “I don’t know what you want from me, but that boy has nothing to do with this, he’s just an intern. Let’s just handle this you and me.”  
  
The Boss decides to ignore Tony as he bends down next to Peter. He grabs his shoulders and sits him up before ripping the duct tape off of his face. Peter doesn’t flinch but he does clench his jaw in defiance.  
  
“What’s your name?”  
  
Peter shakes his head, refusing to answer.  
  
Hands are now caressing his cheek, moving down to his jaw in a way that radiates tenderness and care. For some reason unbeknownst to Tony, that’s worse to witness than kicks and punches.  
  
“Get your hands off of him.”  
  
Both heads snap back to Tony and the Boss raises an eyebrow. “Just an intern, huh?”  
  
Tony ignores the jab and continues on. “Let him go and I’ll do whatever you want.”  
  
The man ignores Tony pleads once more and looks at Peter with a glint in his eyes that could only be described as insanity. “Looks like Stark cares an awful lot about you...” now his hand brushes through Peter’s slightly outgrown curls, and Tony only sees red. “I don’t really blame him- as far as boy toys go you’re pretty much the package deal- fit body, attractive face.”  
  
The Boss leans in to get a better look at Peter, and that’s when he spits in his face. Tony is just as shocked as everyone else, and the man flinches back in disgust.  
  
“I’m not anyone’s boy toy.” Peter says the words with confidence, but Tony hears the slightest of wavers at the end of the statement. That being said, Tony wouldn’t have even noticed if he didn’t know the kid as well as he did.  
  
Now that Peter is talking, Tony can see blood pooling down from his mouth, and the sight makes his heart constrict. Once again, Tony reminds himself that he’s looking at Spiderman, and that he’s been through a lot worse. This time however, the thought provides zero comfort.  
  
No child should ever be immune to pain the way Peter seemed to be in this moment. The fact that Tony hasn’t heard a single admission or cry of pain is telling of how quickly Peter has grown up before his eyes.  
  
Peter barely reacts when a gun is pointed directly at his forehead. Tony on the other hand, practically has a heart attack.  
  
“His name is Peter.” Tony says it without thinking of the implication. He continues on when no one pays attention to him.  
  
“His name is Peter Parker, now put the gun down and get away from him.”  
  
“I don’t think you have the power to say demands like that.” Now Peter is pulled to his feet and the gun is roughly pressed against his temple. Finally, Peter has the audacity to look afraid. Even from across the room, Tony sees his chest rising and falling at a brisk pace.  
  
The Boss leans forward so his mouth lightly feathers over Peter’s ear as he speaks into it.  
  
“Peter Parker, a lovely name for a lovely boy- very alliterative if you ask me.”  
  
He trails down and kisses the side of Peter’s jaw, which causes him to wince back as far as he can go. Tony watches in horror as Peter squeezes his eyes shut and scrunches his nose, yet he still doesn’t make a sound of protest.

Despite his clear discomfort, Peter opens his eyes and retaliates.  
  
“I’m surprised you even know what alliteration is.”  
  
Tony wants to scream at Peter to shut up. They’ve both have had their fun with riling up their captors, but now is no longer the time to be a smartass. Tony tries to warn this to Peter but he pays no mind, stubborn as ever.  
  
Much to Tony’s surprise however, the Boss begins to laugh. His minions quickly follow suit and even Peter looks taken aback by the reaction.  
  
“I can see why you keep this one around Stark, the kid is a firecracker.”  
  
Tony opens his mouth to respond but he once again is distracted by Peter. He raises his eyebrow in question and Tony realizes that he’s asking for permission to fight. Both of them knew he could break out of the handcuffs and finish this ordeal in seconds.  
  
While Peter may be enhanced, his abilities wouldn’t save him from a bullet through the head. There was too much of a risk to allow Peter to fight the way he wanted to. So, Tony adamantly shakes his head, internally begging Peter to listen to him for once in his life.  
  
Thankfully, Peter does, and his shoulders sag in relief.  
  
The reassurance quickly turns to anxiety when he notices the Boss’s hand starting to move down Peter’s torso, and Tony has to intervene.  
  
“Get your perverted hands away from him, you psychopath.”  
  
He would be the first to admit that it wasn’t his best quip, but he was growing more desperate by the minute. Witty remarks were no longer his priority. Of course, no one listens to Tony anyway, and the men continue to give their undivided yet unwelcome attention to Peter.  
  
“Maybe I won’t shoot you, maybe I’ll keep you all for myself. Make you my personal plaything, how does that sound?”  
  
“Please don’t.”  
  
Any sign of bravery or heroism is long gone from Peter, and his voice fully shakes when he says the words. Tony understands the sentiment, and he himself feels a new sense of dread that takes over him.  
  
The Boss looks thrilled to hear Peter begging, and he actually considers his pleads for a moment.  
  
“You’re right, I could probably find someone more experienced anyhow...”  
  
He raises the gun and rams it into Peter’s temple once more, and the poor kid looks a breath away from a panic attack.  
  
Tony is already there, with his chest heaving and tears threatening to spill over. He had just gotten Peter back a couple months ago from the Blip, and there was no way in hell he was about to lose him again. Through his hysteria, Tony finally finds his voice.  
  
“ _Wait, don’t do it_.”  
  
The captors glance back at Tony, and they happily take in the pure, unadulterated fear stemmed through his eyes.  
  
“I have money, is that what you want? You can have it, all of it- just please don’t, don’t shoot the kid. I’ll give you anything.”  
  
Tony almost sobs in relief when the gun is lowered away from Peter. The Boss pushes him away and Peter falters for a second before standing up, shoulders unnaturally rigid and hands clenched into fists behind his back. Others might see the fists as a symbol of rage, but Tony recognized its real purpose which was attempting to hide his trembling hands.  
  
“How much money are you willing to give, Stark?”  
  
Tony almost rolled his eyes. Even when criminals claimed it wasn’t about the money, it always came down to the numbers.  
  
Despite Tony’s aggravation, he was still grateful for a way out of the situation, even if he had to dive into his bank account.  
  
“Name the price and it’s yours.”  
  
The Boss grins, and Tony saw Peter look away from the corner of his eye.  
  
“Well I think we should only make it fair... five million dollars for the five years you’ve let us rot.”  
  
“You technically didn’t ‘rot’ though.”  
  
Immediately, four sets of guns are aimed towards Peter and Tony fights the urge to bang his head against the wall. That kid can’t keep his mouth shut for ten seconds.  
  
Peter holds his head up high and continues to speak.  
  
“I’m just saying, we were technically dusted... there were no bodies around to rot.”  
  
Somehow, the Boss’s smile simply grows wider.  
  
“Put your guns down boys, the kid has a point.”  
  
The minions compliantly listen, though it doesn’t seem like they want to.  
  
“I like you kid, you’ve got spunk.”  
  
“Spunk?” Peter repeats with clear distaste.  
  
The Boss barks out another laugh and looks to Tony.  
  
“Hey Stark, how about we make it four million and I get to keep the kid for myself, I think I enjoy having him around.”  
  
Tony doesn’t know how to properly respond at that. In all honesty, he’s shocked by the turn of events. Nevertheless, he ensures a painful death on this man.  
  
Tony’s fury must have been clearly written on his face, because some of the minions take a step back and the Boss falters for a moment.  
  
Then, Peter clears his throat, and everyone turns their attention back to the boy of discussion.  
  
“As if you could handle me.”  
  
Tony’s jaw physically drops at that, and he’s seconds away from Hulking out of the chair.  
  
Peter stands tall even with the handcuffs holding his arms back. He raises his eyebrow with faux confidence but it’s obvious that the action does not come naturally.  
  
“Excuse me?” Despite the Boss’s threatening tone, he seems awfully pleased by the turn of events.  
  
Way too pleased in fact, that sick bastard.  
  
“You heard me, I don’t think you can handle me.”  
  
The words were forced and choppy, and not even the most egotistical man on the planet would believe in the flirtatious bait. The lack of authenticity didn’t seem to bother any of the men however, and they all watch in excitement as the Boss slowly walks toward Peter, looking him up and down as if he were prey.  
  
“Is that a challenge?”  
  
Peter couldn’t seem to find his voice, so he simply nods in response.  
  
The Boss wastes no time as he picks Peter up through a chokehold. Rather than the startling gasp that is let out, Peter makes no noise.  
  
“We’re going to have so much fun, you and I- I can’t wait to make you scream.”  
  
Peter’s lips are practically blue by the time he’s dropped to the ground. He scrambles and tries to find his breath, but before he can fully recover, he is yet again kicked.  
  
Blood covers his face once more.  
  
All of the minions have joined in the beating now. They kick and they punch and at one point Tony is pretty sure they spit in Peter’s face.

Tony himself feels sick to his stomach.

Eventually, he hears the tiniest of whimpers come out of Peter, and his heart officially breaks in half.  
  
By the time they’re done, Peter is unconscious on the floor. The men had really shown no mercy, and Tony can’t look away from the blood and forming bruises that are littered across Peter’s face.  
  
He didn’t realize until it was over that he had been screaming the whole time, begging for them to stop torturing Peter. He cuts himself off and watches as the men pick Peter’s lifeless body off of the ground. They drag him away where Tony won’t be able to see him, and he catches the Boss’s attention before he walks out of the room.  
  
“I’ll give you the money, just don’t- please don’t touch him.”  
  
The Boss doesn’t even say anything. He gives another smile that shakes Tony to the core, and walks away.  
  
/ / /  
  
Tony doesn’t know how much time has passed since they all had left, but he knew it was enough for his bones to ache and his stomach to growl.  
  
Hunger was the least of Tony’s concerns however, and all he thought about during his time stuck in the goddamn chair was how useless he had been.  
  
When the door opens again, it’s Spiderman who enters the warehouse.  
  
It takes a long moment for Tony to connect all of the missing pieces in his brain after he sees the masked vigilante running towards him. If Peter was here as Spiderman, that means he must have found a way to escape.  
  
Peter easily breaks the chains Tony was attached to in three seconds flat.  
  
“Mr. Stark, are you alright?”  
  
Tony immediately jumps out of the chair and captures Peter into a crushing hug. Peter doesn’t seem to mind, and returns it with just as much vigor, if not more. He feels Peter’s whole body shaking from adrenaline and his eyebrows furrow in concern.  
  
He pulls away the slightest bit so he’s still in arms reach of Peter, and begins to examine his body. Because he’s still wearing the Spiderman suit, he can’t see his face or any obvious injuries, though he is standing upright and nothing seems to be in crucial condition. Still, Tony asks to make sure.  
  
“Are you hurt anywhere?”  
  
“No, I’m fine.”  
  
Tony gives a stern look and watches closely as Peter’s bug-eyes widen through his mask.  
  
“I’m serious, I’m just a little sore, that’s all.”  
  
Tony wasn’t sure if he fully believed him, but he decided to press on it later when they were out of the warehouse.  
  
“How did you get out?”  
  
“Look, I promise I’ll answer all of your questions, but right now I hear sirens and I really want to be out of here before the police get here.”  
  
“That’s not-”  
  
“You should listen to the kid, Tones.”  
  
Tony turns around and sees Rhodey himself barging towards the two of them. He pulls Tony into his own hug and he latches on without needing to think.  
  
“You really have to stop getting yourself kidnapped, it’s unbecoming.”  
  
Despite the situation, Tony finds himself laughing.  
  
“Well how else am I supposed to keep you on your toes.”  
  
Rhodey rolls his eyes and shoves him towards the exit.  
  
“Next time just sign me up for a zumba class- now get outta here before the cops catch you. The kid looks seconds away from carrying you himself.”  
  
Peter scoffs but he doesn’t refute the claim.  
  
“You iron suit is outside waiting for you.”  
  
Tony squints back at Peter, “you’ve planned all of this?”  
  
“I told you I’d answer questions later, now let’s move.”  
  
Peter begins to actually push Tony away, but he stops before the two could make huge strides towards the exit. Instead, he turns to Rhodes.  
  
“All of the criminals are handled?”  
  
“Webbed and ready to lock up.”  
  
“Are they unharmed?”  
  
Rhodey offers a smug smile. “They’re black and blue all over.”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
He finally lets Peter shove him away, making sure to give Rhodey an overdramatized wave, blowing a few kisses here and there to show his gratitude.  
  
The only thing that stops Tony from blowing all of their heads off once he’s in the iron suit was Peter standing next to him, trudging him along and begging Tony to keep walking.  
  
The kid was his kryptonite, if he told Tony to walk off a cliff, he would do it with no question.  
  
While the thought should be concerning, Tony can’t help but let himself happily get dragged along, finding Peter’s insistence outright endearing.  
  
They were out of the crime scene once the police cars had finally pulled in, and the sirens rang in Tony’s ears as they left.  
  
/ / /  
  
Tony flies in the air with Peter following close behind him. More than anything, he wants to head back to the lake house and check on Pepper and Morgan. Apparently it had only been one day since Tony had been taken, and he still wasn’t exactly sure how they had managed to grab both himself and Peter, but he decided to make that questions to solve for later. Right now, he just wanted to go home.  
  
He forces himself to stop however when he hears Peter’s voice enter through the comms.  
  
“Mr. Stark? Can we take a short break?”  
  
Tony was worried to say the least, the kid never asked to stop. He tried not to let his concern show.   
  
“Of course, kiddo.”  
  
He turns back around and watches as Peter lands on an abandoned rooftop. He squats down so he can rest his arms on his knees, and he pulls his mask half way up. Then, he takes a huge breath for fresh air.  
  
Tony lands and sits down at the edge of the building, letting his legs dangle from the roof. Slowly but surely, Peter crawls forward and mimics his position, so their shoulders are almost touching one another.  
  
“Thanks, I needed that.”  
  
Tony looks at Peter and assesses his condition. There’s a nasty bruise on the side of his jaw, though it looks like it’s already beginning to heal. Rather than that, he can’t see many other injuries. He looks down at his neck and notices bruising there as well, much darker than the ones scattered across his face.  
  
Tony takes a closer look and sees that the bruises are identically shaped to hand imprints, and he feels his stomach twist together.  
  
Still, he tries to keep his voice nonchalant, hoping it will get Peter to talk.  
  
“What’s on your neck?”  
  
Tony wasn’t an idiot. He knew that the bruises were from the chokehold he was under, but he wanted to test the waters, see how much Peter was willing to share.  
  
Clearly it wasn’t much, because as soon as the question had left Tony’s mouth, Peter pulls down his mask, once again covering the injuries.  
  
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”  
  
Tony squints at Peter. “You wanna try that again?”  
  
“I’m serious, it doesn’t even hurt that much, I’m not dying or anything.”  
  
Tony groans at that answer. “We need to work on your self preservation skills, I need a little more information then ‘not dying or anything’”  
  
Now it’s Peter’s turn to groan, “why can’t you just believe me.”  
  
Peter doesn’t raise his voice very often, especially now that he was a little older. Still, he definitely has his moments that remind Tony that he’s working with a teenager here, not even graduated from high school yet. He’s about to snap back until a thought enters the forefront of his mind.  
  
“Pete, look, you don’t have to tell me anything else but- I have to ask.”  
  
Peter must notice a change in Tony’s voice, because he quickly sobers up. “Ask what?”   
  
“They didn’t- did he do anything to you?”  
  
Tony didn’t know how to properly articulate his question. He couldn’t even say the words out loud.  
  
Luckily, Peter understood.  
  
“Oh no, not at all- I mean there was some touching, but nothing like that happened.”  
  
Tony breathed a huge sigh of relief, and he closed his eyes to fully process. He didn’t realize how terrified he had been for the answer. Embarrassingly enough, he felt his eyes begin to water up, but he blinks the unshed tears away before Peter could notice them.  
  
“And you’re not lying to me, right? Can you take of your mask and say it so I know you’re telling the truth.”  
  
Peter hesitates for a moment, but he complies, taking his mask off with one swipe.  
  
“Why would I lie about that?”  
  
Tony pauses before answering the question. Peter looks grotesque, bruises overwhelmingly taking over his face and blood matted on his lips. He focuses on his nose and it’s so clearly broken that Tony has to look away for a second.  
  
“You have a tendency to hide important information from me, like that nasal fracture of yours.”  
  
Peter moves his hand to touch the bridge of his nose, but Tony catches it before it makes contact.  
  
“I was going to tell you when you were less stressed, it didn’t seem like a big deal.”  
  
“Didn’t seem like a _big deal_?”  
  
“I have super healing!”  
  
Tony was livid.  
  
“I don’t care if you have a paper cut, if you’re hurt, you tell me.”  
  
“A broken nose won’t end me.”  
  
“ _I don’t care_ , one day you’re going to be reckless and you won’t be so lucky. You’re going to get yourself _killed_.”

“I can handle myself.”   
  
“You’re still a kid.”

Now Tony was shouting, and he watches in horror as Peter’s eyes start to shine with unshed tears of his own. He looks away quickly, but Tony has already noticed them.  
  
Still, he presses on, because he has to know.  
  
“How did you escape anyway?”  
  
Peter turns his attention back to him, looking confused. “What do you mean?”  
  
“How did you leave without getting shot, don’t tell me it was just luck.”

There was a beat of silence before Peter answered.   
  
“I got Fisher alone in a room and waited until he was distracted... I was gonna get you a lot sooner but I didn’t want to reveal my identity or anything, plus I thought it would be smart to call Rhodes and Happy to make sure everything was handled properly.”  
  
“Fisher?”  
  
“Yeah you know, the really buff dude, the one who did all of the talking.”  
  
Ah, the Boss.  
  
Tony already knows the answer when he asks the next question.  
  
“How did you get him alone with you?”  
  
Peter’s cheeks immediately turn red and he looks down at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, I managed.”  
  
“ _Peter_.”  
  
“I said not to worry about it!”  
  
Peter’s voice was rising again, and his defensive answer did nothing to calm Tony’s nerves.  
  
“You said he didn’t do anything.”  
  
“He _didn’t_ , I stopped him before he could.”  
  
“But you encouraged it.”  
  
“Well yeah, how else was I supposed to get him alone. It was the only way to escape and get you out of there.”  
  
Tony didn’t know how to respond to that, he _couldn’t_ respond to that. There were so many things wrong with that thought process.  
  
“Let’s get one thing straight, It doesn’t matter if I’m at the brink of death. If it puts you in danger, _you stay out of it_. You don’t get to make decisions like that.”  
  
Peter definitely did not like that answer, and his eyes fuel with teenage rage.  
  
“If it weren’t for me, we would both still be stuck in that warehouse.”  
  
“One wrong move and they would have shot you.”  
  
“I made sure they didn’t.”  
  
“No, you were careless and threw yourself into danger when you knew bad things could happen.”  
  
“But it _didn’t_ , I don’t know why you’re so mad at me.”  
  
“Look at your face, Peter. _Look at the situation_ , you were one step away from getting yourself molested. Not only did you let it happen, but you _welcomed it_ , egging them on the way you did.”  
  
The moment the words left his mouth, Tony instantly regretted them. He was definitely victim blaming at this point, and Peter did technically save them both.

He wonders what would have happened if Peter hadn’t push the outcome the way he did. Tony knew for a fact that he himself would have been just fine, they weren’t looking to kill him. They wanted him to feel pain, live the consequences of what he was put through. Peter on the other hand, he was nothing but a tool, a pawn that kept Tony on his best behavior. There was a likely chance that Peter would be dead right now if he didn’t leave as soon as he had.  
  
“Hey I’m sorry, I take it back- I went too far.”  
  
Peter moves away, it wasn’t dramatic but it was enough for Tony to notice, and he hates himself for lashing out the way he did. Peter looks distraught, biting his lip and fidgeting his hands together.  
  
“Are you disappointed in me?”  
  
The words are said so quietly, as if Peter were ashamed of himself, and Tony wants to reach over and never let him go. He wants to forget any of this ever happened.  
  
“No, I’m not, I’m sorry I yelled like that- you did good, I promise, I just don’t like thinking about what could have happened, that’s all.”  
  
Peter nodded but he didn’t say anything. It looked like he didn’t believe Tony, so he tried again.  
  
“Hey, I’m serious, you were great out there. I’m proud of you.”  
  
“I’m sorry.” The words are now spoken barely above a whisper, and Tony wants to rip his hair out for causing Peter to sound that way.  
  
“Nope, none of that.” Tony stands up and Peter quickly follows suit, then he takes his hand and slowly leads the two of them away from the edge of the building. Peter was beginning to work himself up to a panicked state and Tony doesn’t want there to be any accidents.  
  
“Let’s just take some deep breaths, okay, in and out just like that- good job kiddo.”  
  
“It was really scary.”  
  
Tony’s heart shattered at the shy admission, and he’s not sure he wants to hear about the details. Despite his fears, he nods at Peter, allowing him to continue if he wants to.  
  
“I mean... I have super strength, I knew I could defend myself- and realistically there was no way anything would have actually happened. But there were a lot of guns and he kept whispering things in my ear and it was- vulgar, very vulgar.”  
  
Tony regrets letting Rhodes handle the criminals, he wants to march back in there and rip them apart, limb by limb.

But Peter didn’t need his anger right now, he needed comfort. So with that logic in mind, Tony took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm and collected as he spoke.  
  
“But like you said, nothing happened- you were able to save yourself and you saved me too.” He wanted to point out that he shouldn’t feel obligated to protect Tony, but he decided that was a fight for later. For right now, he knew the thought would calm Peter down.   
  
“They didn’t hurt you while I was gone, did they?”  
  
“Not even a scratch, hate to say it but it looks like you got the short end of the stick.”  
  
Tony could see the relief so vividly on Peter’s face, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever deserve all of the love that the kid gives him, especially after everything Tony has put him through.  
  
“And you didn’t pay any ransom money?”  
  
Tony shook his head, “not a penny... they weren’t very good with their priorities, huh.”  
  
Tony is pleased when that earns a wet laugh from Peter, and the small smile that forms on his face makes Tony’s heart skip a beat.  
  
Tony didn’t truly believe what he was saying, however. Since the beginning they’ve said that they wanted Tony to suffer, and they knew easiest way to break him was by touching his kid.

They got exactly what they wanted.

Tony walks over and places both of his hands on Peter’s shoulders, and he cant help but grin as Peter leans into the touch the way he always does after a battle.  
  
“How about we go find Cho and fix up that nose of yours, it has to be hurting.”  
  
“A little bit.” The fact that Peter was even admitting he was in pain was telling of how bad it must be.  
  
But Tony was going to help that. He was going to make sure Peter never had to feel pain again, never had to make a decision he was too young to even consider.  
  
The chances of Peter never getting into trouble were so unlikely that the thought almost made Tony laugh out loud. They would be dealing with something new and equally as hazardous in the span of twenty four hours. The grey strands in his hair didn’t come solely from old age after all.  
  
But Tony would be there, he’ll help bandage both the emotional and physical wounds. He would do whatever it takes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> If you liked this I have other works you can check out :)


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